Like Freaks and Geeks? Try Fresh Meat!

If you like twisted dark comedies, Fresh Meat is for you. Otherwise, it’s an acquired taste. On the base level, Fresh Meat surrounds the creepy, bitingly satirical things college co-op roommates do to each other. If you liked Freaks and Geeks, Bob’s Burgers or Raising Hope, you’ll probably like Fresh Meat. And, if you enjoyed the UK As If, Peep Show or The Book Group, you’ll definitely enjoy this. But, if you stray towards the light, be forewarned. This is more for the Angela Chases of the world. The second season covers the pre-existing characters — streetwise Vod; posh pratt JP; creepily awkward Howard; pretty literature major Oregon; ordinary guy Kingsley; insecure Josie — and their new non-student roommate Sabine.

Because it hits all of my buttons simultaneously – it’s British, witty and a comedy — technically, I should like it. But, it took me a while to warm up to it. Despite the comedy cover, it’s a little bit gritty. Similar to As If or Freaks and Geeks, it deals with the “under society” of society, the alternative of the cool kids. There aren’t any overachievers, Mr. Schues or Rachel Berrys. Fresh Meat’s students are the opposite of fresh. They’re the forgotten ones. They’re jaded, cynical, and slightly knowing. They’re freeloaders, sperm freezers, teacher affair holders, competitive gits and creepy meat lovers. Once you stop looking for blatant, aspiring good in the characters then you can actually start to enjoy it. That’s when the mild obsession starts.

The love-hate relationship I have with Fresh Meat is reminiscent of my love-hate relationship with any TV show that isn’t blatantly warm and sunny. When I started watching The Book Group, another UK show about discontented strangers gathering out of loneliness, I initially disliked it. But, I KEPT watching it, because I found it obsessively addictive. Despite the characters’ dissatisfaction with their own lives, each episode ended with a grain of hope and unity. Similarly, no matter how hideous the characters might appear in Fresh Meat, each episode typically ends with mild warmth towards each other. In season two’s initial episodes, JP hilariously comes to terms with his heterosexuality. Vod forces her roommates to take her belongings in exchange for her freeloading. Plus, Vod and JP have an odd bonding moment during his illness. I won’t lie, if I lived with a bunch of twenty-somethings, they’d probably treat me the same way they treat Sabine. Like Sabine, I’d hide my appliances and charge them for stolen food.

So, while I didn’t instantly LOVE Fresh Meat, like I instantly loved Spy, Whites, Spaced, Campus and Green Wing, it slowly snuck up on me. If you like shows that don’t tend towards the mainstream, you’ll love Fresh Meat. It addresses the dark, murky uncertainty we all face, especially when living on the fringe.

Hulu already has the first two seasons available. Go ahead and check it out. P.S. Hulu, when are you acquiring rights to Miranda?

Also, for other shows on Hulu, check out the French police import Braquo whose season finale airs on Tuesday, March 12.